Memores Acti Prudentes Futuri - Part I: The Journey Begins

Sunday, 23 January 2011 will mark the two year anniversary of the day I physically embarked on my journey to Japan. As the date draws closer, I have found myself in deep thought over the great experiences I had in 日本国 (Nihon-koku or Nippon-koku, the official name for Japan). I have been told by some that my memories will fade, and that I should expect to lose track of my experiences as time progresses. Nonsense, I say! To the skeptics: I will be mindful of what has been done, aware of what will be. I will strive to record as much as possible from memory over the next week, so that each one of you will understand what I experienced in my time overseas. Each one of you will be able to live vicariously through memories of my life in 枚方市 (Hirakata-shi) and my studies at 関西外国語大学 (Kansai Gaikokugo Daigaku). You and I will be able to reflect on what has been done, and use these memories to develop what will be.

The Story Begins

Thursday, 22 January 2009 - I scrambled to fit as much as possible into two suitcases. Moving to the opposite side of the planet meant having to bring much of my life along with me. Excitement burned in my core and coursed through my veins as I made sure all of my paperwork was in order. The plethora of conflicting emotions I was feeling is difficult to describe, but I recall feeling both great excitement and incredible fear as I was about to travel over 7,000 miles (over 11,000 km) from home and reside in a foreign country for four months. I later came to realize that four months was but a hiccup in the course of life.

Friday, 23 January 2009 - I dressed the night before my departure - H&M jeans, white button-down shirt, black and grey-striped sweater vest from Express. I laid in bed, too excited to sleep and too worried that if I slept, I would oversleep. I spent the better part of my night on YouTube watching a variety of different videos, including the music video for "Single Ladies". At 1:09am, I sent an email to my program advisor, Danielle Leonard, regarding my excitement and anticipation for my upcoming life in Japan. Around 2:00am, I fell asleep with "Single Ladies" still playing in the background. At 3:00am, I awoke and jumped out of bed, grabbed my suitcases, and descended the stairs to meet my family.

At 3:45am, with the car packed up, my father, my mother and I pulled out of the driveway and made our way to Albany International Airport. We arrived shortly after 4:00am, meeting the morning rush of business travelers at the ticket counters. I was booked on Northwest Airlines (now Delta Air Lines), with flights from Albany International Airport (KALB) to Detroit Metropolitan Airport (KDTW), and from KDTW to Kansai International Airport (RJBB). Much to my disappointment, I have misplaced my flight tickets, and I cannot remember the flight numbers of each flight on which I was booked.

After checking in and receiving my boarding passes, Yujiro Tawara, Tomoya Kisabe, and Megumi Kidoguchi, my classmates from Japan, greeted me in front of the security line. Our picture is in the top-right corner of this post. We said our farewells and see you soons before I stepped into the security line and was cleared through the TSA security checkpoint. I waved to my parents and friends before making my way over to the A concourse, where my flight awaited. As I sat down in the dark brown, thinly upholstered leather chairs in front of gate A4, I texted my friends and parents, letting them know that I was about to board my first flight, that I loved them, and that I would see them soon. As my flight began boarding about 20 minutes before 6:00am, I grabbed my carry-on luggage and passed through the door of gate A4, walked down the jet bridge, and stepped onto the DC-9-40 aircraft that would carry me to Detroit.

I sat in seat 22C, on the starboard (right) side of the aircraft. Another man was sitting in seat 22E, leaving an empty seat between us. Across the aisle, a group of sales representatives from a Fuccillo car dealership spoke excitedly about their cruise to Mexico. I overheard them and began striking up a conversation. A woman in the group with short, blonde hair and a warm, welcoming smile asked me where I was going. "Japan", I stated. The whole group paused in awe, before remarking on the great experience that awaited my arrival.

At 6:05am, the Northwest Airlines DC-9-40 pushed back from gate A4 and began taxiing to runway 19 a few minutes later. As the aircraft approached the runway threshold, I looked back at the terminal where I had last seen my parents and friends. The Pratt & Whitney engines began to whine as it turned off of taxiway A (alpha) and accelerated down runway 19. There was no sign of daylight as it lifted off the runway and began its ascent over the sleepy suburbs of Albany. Streetlights dotted the landscape below, and I quickly glimpsed the University at Albany uptown campus as the aircraft banked right and broke into the overcast. The first leg of my journey, a mere one hour and five minutes in length, was underway.

Goodbye Albany.

Life's Many Inspirations - A Story of Struggle and Appreciation

It's no secret that life is not always easy. Struggle often precedes appreciation, and appreciation for everything that life offers is sometimes washed out by the struggles we endure. Perhaps I haven't stated the mission of this blog, but I think the title explains it well. The purpose of my writing is to draw inspiration out of daily life. Inspiration does not have to accompany significant, world-changing events; rather, the smallest details of life often inspire people to do better for themselves and others.

While I've always considered myself an optimist, it's not easy to find a silver lining in every dark cloud. My blogging days began in September 2008 as a means of chronicling my life in Japan. My goal was to remark on my significant experiences and subsequent growth. Above all else, I wanted to stay connected with my loved ones in upstate New York as I lived nearly 7,000 miles away. I hoped that my writing would inspire others to do what I was doing, and gather the strength and courage to step outside of their comfort zones and follow the road less traveled.

I am regretful to admit that, upon my return from Japan in May 2009, I lost a lot much of my inspiration. I recall experiencing reverse culture shock that knocked me off my feet. I remember reassimilating into my major of study and feeling that I had lost my focus and desire to move forward. My memories sound bad, but my life was not all bad. I remained as optimistic as possible and befriended many wonderful people following my return. I kept seeking new inspiration and remained confident that I would return to Japan (and Asia in general) in the future.

In the summer of 2010, one year after my return, I stumbled upon a rough and rocky road. I found myself in a demanding unpaid internship that required my presence at odd hours. To make a small income, I worked as a maintenance director at a decrepit community swimming pool, where I made minimum wage for my hard work that went unappreciated by my boss. I felt that I was floundering at a dead end.

In August 2010, I found myself rapidly transitioning between my summer routine and a demanding academic semester. With little time to catch my breath, I was quickly overwhelmed by more responsibilities than I had ever previously handled at one time. My energy quickly drained from my being, and with it went my happiness. I kept on top of my studies by sacrificing most of my time, but I came to realize that I was lacking in most other areas of my life. It was easy to fall into a pessimistic mindset - one that was very difficult to leave behind. I felt that my mental and emotional strength was non-existent.

On an evening in November, I revealed to my mother all of the struggles I was facing. It was during our discussion that I realized I had created my own nightmare by feeding on so much negativity. This was an epiphany - a turning point on this rough and rocky road. I felt, for the first time in months, inspired.

I began to draw inspiration from life's minor details as I pulled myself out of my pessimistic mindset. It was time, I realized, to return to my optimistic approach to life. It was time to embark on a quest for daily inspiration. I worked hard to improve my mindset and salvage the remainder of my semester. In fact, as I see it now, those several months of struggle were not wasteful, but rather a necessary evil for a period of rapid growth. For this, I am very appreciative.

Recently, I have drawn a great deal of inspiration from my loving partner. His approach to life and its many unforeseen hardships has demonstrated to me the importance of keeping a strong emotional core and remaining optimistic in all circumstances. While I've always understood this, it's sometimes easy to forget. I'm fortunate that I have such a person to look to and learn from. I've grown quite a bit in the time I've known him, and will undoubtedly continue to grow as I pay him my respect and admiration.

My writing will continue as I seek daily inspiration. I will reminisce about my life in Japan as nearly two years has passed since I left upstate New York for the Sun Origin Country. Thank you for paying attention to my views of life - your time is greatly appreciated. I'd love to hear your views as well, and above all, I hope that I can provide you, the reader, with some inspiration.

鼓舞 - Kobu - Inspiration, encouragement.